A customer letter

To promote education two teachers travel the world in a tuk-tuk with a little help from DSV. They have written a letter about their experience with DSV

17.12.13

For more than a year the two British teachers, Nick Gough and Rich Sears, have travelled the world in a tiny tuk-tuk named Tommy Tempo to promote education. Through their journey DSV helped them out where the tuk-tuk could not travel. Cross the world’s oceans. Nick and Rich depended on DSV’s worldwide network and experienced how it is to cooperate with DSV. This is what they said:

The DSV people

It's fair to say that everyone has been great who we have worked with. I have to emphasize that it's no easy task; different time zones, different permits and road laws, different languages. DSV is a big company but everyone we have worked with has been efficient, supportive and helpful.

We also appreciate that what we are doing falls into a 'marmite' like category. You either love it or hate it. You either get it or you don't. A lot of the time we don't know what people think about us, but regardless all the staff from DSV have been brilliant and to be perfectly honest - we couldn't have done it without them.

Cape Town, South Africa

Top guys. This was smooth, efficient and the first contact we had with DSV staff on the ground. One meeting, signed the paperwork, dropped the tuk tuk and left it in DSVs hands.

Mumbai, India

This was perhaps the friendliest office that we have come across. Unfair because there is no way of measuring that, but they helped us with absolutely everything - from getting a number plate, to negotiating Indian customs, meeting Piaggio CEO (the apé City Diesel tuk tuk was manufactured at Piaggio in India – ed.) and visiting their factory.

We also did a talk here to the DSV staff about what we are doing and it was lovely to meet the whole team rather than just a few people. Such a lovely vibe in the office. Since we have left they have all been in touch wishing us well.

Kolkatta, India

Nice office, lovely people and a great reception.

Singapore

Ruthlessly efficient - barely caught a name. It arrived; we picked it up and left. Perfect.

Thailand

We had issues getting the tuk tuk into the US, so we were working across time zones with Mexico and Colombia to a time limit with our vehicle temporary import permit running out in Thailand. I was skyping Supaluk (DSV employee - ed.) at 8 or 9 pm at night and early in the mornings when we were trying to liaise with Latin America.

We met the deadline by a couple of days. I say 'we', it was all her and the other respective DSV offices. She was a genuine legend and saved me flying back to Thailand to go back to the Thai border and try to renew the permit!

Colombia

Here we did all our work through Gloria who was brilliant. Some very difficult paperwork/customs and officials were negotiated. One of the guys in the office drove us to the port for the pick up of the tuk tuk at 8.30 pm on a Saturday night with his family in the back - just so we didn't have to wait till Monday.

I should stress that I will have definitely missed people out. I'm sure to some staff who we email out of the blue it seems a bit strange so we apologise for all the times that we have ambushed people. So many people we have met via email - we know this isn't the most personal and thanks for all your help.

I hope this gives you an idea of everything. We feel we have seen many different aspects of DSV and it is an organisation that is very efficient and brilliantly integrated. I stress again that without DSVs support we would be home already so thanks so much to everyone.

Thanks again for your help and please pass on our thanks when you can.